Padlock



p 20, 1 L. E. HARBISON 2,482,177

PADLOVCK Filed. Aug. 12, 1947 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l mama/ya ,5 HARE/501V Sept. 20,1949. E. HARBISON 2,482,177

PADLOCK 1 Filed Aug. 12, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 20, 1949 U NITED STATES PATEN T F FICE .PADLOCK 'LavrrenceEJHarbison, Globe, 'Arlz.

Application Augustll2, 1947, .SerialNo. 768,231

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a padlock.

It is a principal object of-thisinvention to ,provide a new and improved padlock. wherein a plurality of cylinders may be selectively arranged to permit operation of the lock by .a key having .a particular configuration. While this invention is shown applied to apadlock, it is obvious that other forms of locks may be similarly improved.

A preferred embodiment of (the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is understood that modifications maylbe made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal. section through the new and improved padlock.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section. taken along the line 3-3 of Figure .1.

Figure '4 is a horizontal section, 'taken'along the line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertictmlsectlon, taken along the'lin'e 55 of Figurei2.

Figurefi is a horizontal section, taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is an enlarged horizontal section, taken along the line 1-1 of'Figurel.

Figure '8 is a bottom plan view,on :an enlarged scale, of a portion of the'lock when the key is applied thereto.

Figure 9 is a front elevation of thetkeyshown in Figure 8.

As illustrated in the drawings, the .newand improved lock comprises a'housing 100i generally conventional form. The housing ID is suitably apertured at one side to receive a shackle H. A spring l3 bears against .the 'bottom of .the shackle I I to urge it outwardly, and a stop 'fixed in the housing It limits the upward movement of the shackle The shackle H has two horizontal .slots l6 and H for the reception of two bolts 18 and l 9. respectively. When the bolts [8 and .I'Bareretracted, the spring |3 will urge theshackle upwardly to open position.

Thehousing I0 is bored to receive a sleeve 20. The sleeve 20 is centrally aperturedtoreceive a series of four cylinders 2|, 22, 23, and .24, these cylinders being concentrically arrangedinnested relation about a vertical .rod 25. The upper .extremity 26 of the rod is threaded. Underneath the threaded portion 26 isa circular portion 21. Then comes a portion 28 that is triangular in cross-section, as indicated in Figure 6 of .thedra-wings. The central portion 29 of the rod .25 is substantially enlarged, the portion underneath the tending horizontally thereof enlarged portion 29 being of the same circular cross-section as the portion 21. The lower extremity 3| of the rod 25 .is again .triangularlyshaped, for a purpose to'be described more particularly hereinafter.

The cylinders 2|, 22, 23, and 24 are .made in semi-cylinders, for ease of manufacture and assembly, and are held in position about the rod 25 by a series of split annular springs 33, 34, 35, and 36. Each of the springs-33, '34, 35,, and 36 encircles its respective cylinder 2|, 22, 23, and 24 about the region of the enlarged portion-29.01? the rod 25 in such a way as to leave a .slightspace between each spring and its outer cylinder. Each of the springs 33, 34, 35, and has a raised notch 38 onone side of-its upper edge, and a horizontal bar 40 is accommodated .in the notches 38 toprevent relative movement of the springs. At the same time, the cylinders 2|, '22, 23, and 24 are retained'frictionally, .but are movable with respect to one another by means to be described more particularly hereinafter.

Each of the cylinders 2|, .22, 23, and 24 has a vertical protrusion 4|, 42,43, and 44, respectively, p i on its lower surface.

* trusions 4|, 42, 43, and 44, as well as the lower extremity 3| of the .rod 25, project below the lower surface of the housing HI, as .indicatedin Figure 1 of the drawings, and are operable by'a key to rotate the cylinders 2|, 22, 2-3, and .24, as

well as the rod 25, to a pre-selected position to retract the bolts |8 and I9 from the grooves l6 and |'|,respectively, in the housing Ill, to release the shackle The sleeve 20 has a pluralityof windows exthrough which wedges 46 may be passed to engage the radiallyofiset portions of the outermost cylinder 2|, and thereby lock all the cylinders and their springs in position.

The two sides of the sleeve 20 have projecting ears Stand 5| which are suitably aperture'd to receive a spacer 52 surrounding the upper portion of the outermost cylinder 2|. One side of the spacer 52 has a square hole to receive alug 51 having a square cross-section to fit within the hole. The lug 51 has a horizontal projection .58. On the opposite side of the spacer 52 there is an abutment 80, Figures 6 and 7, which has an inclined surface 8|.

A rotary discismounted on theround por 3 tion 21 of the rod 25, the disc 60 being'slidable on the rod 25. A leaf spring 53 is held in place on the side of the rotary disc 60, and normally rests against the extension 58 of the lug 51, thereby preventing rotation of the disc 60. The function of this is to prevent intersleeve friction from overcoming the coil spring 6|. The intersleeve friction arises from the interaction of the cylinders 2|,' 22, 23, and 24 against the cylindrical springs 33, 34, 35, and 36, which springs, in turn, are connected to the bar 40. This bar 40 has a vertical portion 54 slidable vertically in a hole 55 in the disc 65), but also exerts a rotary force on the disc 60 by virtue of the eccentricity of the hole 55. A coil spring 6| joins the extension 58 of the lug 51 to the disc 55 by means of two set screws 63 and 64, this spring 6| normally resisting rota-- tion of the disc 60 with respect to the lug 51. Another coil spring 65, mounted on the upper end of the rod 25 and held thereto by means of a nut 65 engaged with the threaded portion 26 of the rod 25, normally urges the disc 60 downwardly. Two bolts 68 and 69 project vertically from the upper surface of the disc 60, and two connecting rods 1| and 12 are pivoted thereto. The lock bolts I8 and iii are fastened to the ends of the connecting rods 1| and12, respectively. It will be seen, therefore, that when the disc 59 is rotated, the connecting rods 1| and 12 will likewise be rotated about the axis of the rod 25, and operate to retract the lock bolts I8 and I9 from their recesses l6 and I1 in the housing 3. As will be observed from Figure 3 of the drawings, the connecting rods 1| and12 are slightly curved to permit radial movement of the bolts I8 and I9 as the inner ends of the connecting rods 1| and 12 are rotated about the axis of the rod 25.

The disc 60 is provided on its under side with a plurality of pins 90, which are arranged in a prearranged fashion in accordance with the combination of the lock. Depending from the disc 60 adjacent the outermost one 'of the pins 90 is a cam 9|, the cam being of a length greater than the length of the triangular portion 28 of the rod 25 and of the exposed portions of the pins 90 when the latter are in the apertures of the cylinders 2|, 22, 23 and 24. The upper peripheries of the cylinders 2|, 22, 23, and 24 are suitably apertured to'receive the pins 90. 1

In the operation of the device, the key 45 is mounted on a triangular end 3| of the rod 25, as indicated in Figure 8, of the drawings, and rotated clockwise against the protrusions 4|, 42, 43, and 44, the key 45 bearing the proper indentations to operate the lock. As the protrusions 4|, 42, 43, and are rotated about the axis of the rod 25, they will, of course, rotate with them their cylin-f ders 2|, 22, 23, and 24. The rotary disc 60 i's on the round portion 21 of the rod 25 and does not, rotate. As soon, however, as the cylinders 2|, 22, 23, and 24 have been aligned by the rotation of the key 45 so that the pins 90 may enter their apertures in the upper ends of the cylinders, the spring will force the disc 60 downwardlys'o that the pins 90 enter the apertures in the CYHH, ders. The spring 53 will drop below the extension 58 of the lug 51, permitting the disc 60 to be rotated clockwise. The axial movement of the, disc will bring it onto the triangular portion 28 immediately underneath the round portion 21 of the rod 25. Continued rotation of the key 45 will now result in rotation of the rotary disc 60, and this will actuate the connecting rods 1| and 12 to withdraw the lock bolts I8 and |9 fromtheir.

' 4 recesses l6 and 1, so that the shackle II will be released.

To look the padlock, the ends of the shackle II are inserted in the openings of the housing I0, and while held in such inserted position, the key 45 is mounted on the triangular end 3| of the rod 25, and rotated clockwise. Rotation of the key 45 causes further rotation of the disc 60 until the cam 9| carried by the disc 60 engages the inclined surface 8| of the abutment carried by the spacer 52. Further rotation of the key 45 causes the cam 9| of the disc 60 to ride upwardly along the inclined surface 8| of the abutment 80, resulting in advancing the disc toward the circular portion21 of the rod 25 against the action of the spring 55, until finally the disc 60 is no longerin engagement with the triangular portion 28 of the rod 25 and the pins carried by the disc 60 are out of engagement with the apertures in the cylinders 2|, 22, 23 and 24.. When the disc 6|) is free of engagement with the triangular portion 28 of the rod 25 it is returned to its normal' spaced position with respect to the spacer 52 by means of the spring 6|. This action of the spring 6| causes the disc 60 to rotate and actuate the rods H and 12, resulting in the lock bolts I8 and |9 to engage with the recesses I6 and H in the shackle II. It is to be 'noted that the rotation of the disc 6|] caused by the spring 6| is continued untilleaf spring 53 has passed extension 58 of the lug 51 and the spring 6| has become slack after its retraction. When the lock bolts 8 and I9 are in engagement with the recesses l6 and H in the shackle II, the shackle is then freed of its held position.

I claim:

1. In a padlock, a housing, a shackle projecting from one end face of said housing and mounted for inward and'outward movement longitudinally in the latter, a rotatable cylindrical rod arranged longitudinally within said housing and. having an end projecting out of the other end face of said housing, said rod having an enlarged cylindrical portion intermediate its ends and a portion of non-circular cross-section at one end of theenlarged portion, the non-circularcrosssectional portion having one end abutting the adjacent end of said enlarged portion and being spaced from the end of the .rod opposite the projecting end'of the latter, a plurality of rotatable cylinders concentrically arranged .in nested relationabout the. enlarged cylindrical portion of said rod, each of'said cylinders being provided with a depending protrusion onthe end adjacent the projecting end of said rod, the respective protrusions projecting out of the said'other end face of said housing, there ,bein fan aperture in each of said cylinders in the'end face opposite the projecting end ofsaid rod, a bar straddling the end'facesof the respective cylinders opposite the, projecting end of said rod and'carried by the cylinders, a. rotatable disc on the portion of said rod adjacent the other end of said non-circular cross-sectional portion which is mounted for slidable movement into and out of engagement with said non-circular cross-sectional portion, a plurality of pins arranged in spaced relation and projecting from the end face of saiddisc ad-, jacent the projecting end of said rod, said pins being receivable in the apertures of said cylinders when the latter have been rotated to a position such that the apertures in the cylinders are in registry therewith, means projecting from said bar and slidably extending through said disc, op-' posed alignedbolts connected to the other end face of said disc and mounted for movement transversely into and out of engagement with said shackle, and resilient means connected to the end of the rod opposite its projecting end and to said disc for urging the latter toward the non-circular cross-sectional portion of said rod.

2. In a padlock, a housing, a shackle projecting from one end face of said housing and mounted for inward and outward movement longitudinally in the latter, a rotatable cylindrical rod arranged longitudinally within said housing and having an end projecting out of the other end face of said housing, said rod having an enlarged cylindrical portion intermediate its ends and a portion of non-circular cross-section at one end of the enlarged portion, the non-circular cross-sectional portion having one end abutting the adjacent end of said enlarged portion and being spaced from the end of the rod opposite the projecting end of the latter, a plurality of rotatable cylinders concentrically arranged in nested relation about the enlarged cylindrical portion of said rod, each of said cylinders being provided with a depending protrusion on the end adjacent the projecting end of said rod, the respective protrusions projecting out of the said other end face of said housing, there being an aperture in each of said cylinders in the end face opposite the projecting end of said rod, a bar straddling the end faces of the respective cylinders opposite the projecting end of said rod and carried by the cylinders, a rotatable disc on the portion of said rod adjacent the other end of said non-circular crosssectional portion which is mounted for slidable movement into and out of engagement with said non-circular cross-sectional portion, a, plurality of pins arranged in spaced relation and projecting from the end face of said disc adjacent the projecting end of said rod, said pins being receivable in the apertures of said cylinders when the latter have been rotated to a position such that the apertures in the cylinders are in registry therewith, means projecting from said bar and slidably extending through said disc, opposed aligned bolts connected to the other end face of said disc and mounted for movement transversely into and out of engagement with said shackle, resilient means connected to the end of the rod opposite its projecting end and to said disc for urging the latter toward the non-circular cross-sectional portion of said rod and interengaging means on said housing and said disc for normally maintaining the latter against rotation.

3. In a padlock, a housing, a shackle projecting from one end face of said housing and mounted for inward and outward movement longitudinally in the latter, a rotatable cylindrical rod arranged longitudinally within said housing and having an end projecting out of the other end face of said housing, said rod havin an enlarged cylindrical portion intermediate its ends and a portion of non-circular cross-section at one end of the enlarged portion, the non-circular crosssectional portion having one end abutting the adjacent end of said enlarged portion and being spaced from the end of the rod opposite the projecting end of the latter, a plurality of rotatable cylinders concentrically arranged in nested relation about the enlarged cylindrical portion of said rod, each of said cylinders bein provided with a depending protrusion on the end adjacent the projecting end of said rod, the respective protrusions projectin out of the said other end face of said housing, there being an aperture in each of said cylinders in the end face opposite the projecting end of said rod, a bar straddling the end faces of the respective cylinders opposite the projecting end of said rod and carried by the cylinders, a rotatable disc on the portion of said rod adjacent th other end of said non-circular cross-sectional portion which is mounted for slidable movement into and out of engagement with said non-circular cross-sectional portion, a plurality of pins arranged in spaced relation and projecting from the end face of said disc adjacent the projecting end of said rod, said pins being receivable in the apertures of said cylinders when the latter have been rotated to a position such that the apertures in the cylinders are in registry therewith, means embodying a pin projecting from said bar and slidably extending through said disc, opposed aligned bolts connected to the other end face of said disc and mounted for movement transversely into and out of engagement with said shackle, a coiled spring connected to the end of the rod opposite its projecting end and to said disc for urging the latter toward the non-circular cross-sectional portion of said rod and inter-engaging means on said housing and said disc for normally maintainin the latter against rotation, said inter-engaging means including a projecting lug carried by said housing and a leaf spring projecting from the periphery of said disc engaging said projecting lug.

LAWRENCE E. HARBISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 883,417 Merrill Mar. 31, 1908 1,399,886 Serra Dec. 13, 1921 1,411,401 Becherer Apr. 4, 1922 1,461,725 Cooper July 17, 1923 

